Column, Temple of Asclepius, Asclepium, Pergamon

Marble column in the cella or inner chamber of the Temple of Asclepius, 2nd century AD, at the Asclepium or Sanctuary of Asclepius, 3km from the acropolis of Pergamon, modern-day Bergama, Izmir, Turkey. This broken column is carved with serpents coiled around olive branches, a symbol of the cult of the god Asclepius. The Asclepium is named after the god of healing and housed a sacred spring where people could bathe and cure their illnesses. Galen, the most famous doctor in the Roman Empire and physician of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, worked in the Asclepium for many years. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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Acropolis Aeolis Asclepium Asclepius Bergama Cella Cure Healing Izmir Olive Pergamon Pergamum Serpent Therapeutic Therapy

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